The chilly bit of Bonfire Night is usually the half-hour before the first firework, when you’ve found a good spot, finished your hot chocolate and stopped moving. Dress for that half-hour and the walk home will look after itself.
Start with a long-sleeved top, add a fleece or jumper and finish with a coat you can fasten over both. Wear lace-up boots for a dry village display or tall wellies for a wet field. A hat that covers your ears and gloves you can keep in your coat pockets are worth taking even if you feel warm when you leave.
Jump to Men’s outfit guide · Women’s outfit guide · Hats, gloves and socks · Bonfire Night questions
What should men wear to a fireworks display?
For a dry village evening, put a plain long-sleeved tee under a navy quarter zip, add dark straight-leg jeans and lace up the Ariat Moorland Bison in Cognac Bison. The warm brown leather looks particularly good against dark denim. Finish with a dark olive coat and you’re dressed for the pub afterwards, too.
Shop the look · Village fireworks
For a wet field display, start with a thermal crew neck and a zip-neck fleece. Pull waterproof overtrousers over your usual trousers before you set off, then add a long waterproof coat and neoprene-lined wellies. The extra coverage comes into its own on the walk back across the car park.
Shop the look · A wet field display
Men’s buying guide
- Jumpers and fleeces. The R.M.Williams Mulyungarie in navy is our pick over a tee for a village evening. Choose the Alan Paine Aylsham fleece if you’d prefer a fleece midlayer. Both collars open for the walk there and zip up while you wait.
- Coats. The Barbour Bromfield gives a dark-denim outfit a smart finish. The Hoggs of Fife Walker long coat is the one we’d reach for when rain is forecast and we want more of our legs covered.
- Trousers. Ariat M7 Rocker Stretch Legacy jeans have a straight leg to sit over a lace-up boot. Prefer a regular fit? Try the Meyer M5 6209 stretch jeans in navy. Keep denim for dry ground or wear a waterproof layer over it in steady rain.
- Boots. The Ariat Moorland Bison is a six-inch lace-up with a textured bison leather upper and removable cushioned insole. We’d wear it on firm paths. For wet grass and a long wait, go for the men’s Le Chameau Vierzonord with its taller rubber upper and insulating neoprene lining.
What should women wear on Bonfire Night?
For fireworks followed by supper, try a navy striped jumper over a long-sleeved tee, slim jeans and the Dubarry Galway in black. Tuck the jeans neatly into the boots, then add an olive wax jacket. It’s an easy outfit to wear indoors once the coat comes off.
Shop the look · Fireworks and supper
For a chilly field or showground, wear a thermal top, a quarter-zip sweatshirt and a long waterproof coat. Stretch leggings leave room for waterproof overtrousers without a thick fold of denim behind the knee. Finish with rubber wellies for the muddy gateway.
Shop the look · A chilly showground
Women’s buying guide
- Jumpers and sweatshirts. The Ariat Langsett sweater in Navy Stripe works well when your coat will come off for supper. For a more casual outfit, try the Hoggs of Fife Dumfries 1888 quarter zip in Berry, White & Navy. You can zip the neckline up once you’ve claimed your spot.
- Coats. Choose the Barbour Classic Beadnell wax jacket in olive for a shorter country jacket with jeans. For a rainy evening on an exposed field, the Hoggs of Fife Walker waterproof long coat gives more coverage over the thighs. Compare the Beadnell and Walker coats.
- Jeans and leggings. Ariat R.E.A.L. Perfect Rise Abby straight jeans work with ankle boots. Ariat Ultra Stretch Sidewinder skinny jeans tuck more smoothly into tall boots. Browse women’s country jeans. For wet weather, full-length stretch leggings under waterproof overtrousers make an easier pairing.
- Boots. Choose the Dubarry Galway in black for a leather country boot you can wear from the display to dinner. For a churned-up field, the Ariat Woodstock rubber boots in Bracken Brown are an easy pair to rinse off at home. If cold feet are your main concern, also consider the women’s neoprene-lined Le Chameau Vierzonord.
The little things you’ll be glad you brought
A close-fitting beanie sits comfortably under a hood. A fleece headband is a good alternative if you wear your hair up. For hands, a pair of knitted gloves is easy to slip into a pocket on a dry night, while waterproof gloves make more sense if you’ll be holding a wet umbrella. Pick socks to suit the boot: a midweight wool-blend pair for lace-ups or long boot socks for tall wellies. You should still be able to wiggle your toes.
Bonfire Night outfit questions
Can you wear jeans on Bonfire Night?
Yes, especially for a dry display on paved streets. Check that the hems clear the ground with your boots on. If the forecast is wet, bring waterproof overtrousers or choose walking trousers that dry more quickly than denim.
Are wellies or leather boots better for fireworks?
Go by the ground. Leather lace-ups are comfortable for the walk through town. Tall rubber wellies are more useful if you’ll cross a muddy field, even if rain has stopped by the time you arrive. For colder evenings, compare the options in our wellington boot linings guide.
How do you stay cosy without getting too hot on the walk?
Leave the coat open or lower your quarter zip while you’re walking. Once you stop, fasten the coat and put your hat on before you start to feel chilly. Try your outfit on together at home. If the sleeves pull tight when you reach forward, swap the bulky jumper for a closer-fitting fleece. Our winter quarter-zip guide compares the options.
What if it rains during the display?
Choose a hooded waterproof coat you can do up comfortably over your jumper. A longer hem helps if the viewing area is open to the weather, and a hood leaves both hands free for a cup of tea. See our winter coat buying guide for a closer look at coverage and fit.